Boost Your Cryo Archive Security Clearance Level in Marathon

Marathon’s Cryo Archive is a complex maze, made even trickier by the need for Security Clearance to access most areas. This unique system is specific to this endgame map, and understanding how it works is crucial for navigating the challenges ahead.

To successfully extract from the ship and snag high-end loot from the elusive vaults, you must grasp the mechanics of Security Clearance. Ideally, you’ll want to figure this out before jumping into a match with your valuable gear on the line.

Security Clearance is a feature exclusive to Cryo Archive, functioning differently from the security cards found in Outpost. You’ll need to raise your Clearance Level to interact with various doors, solve puzzles, and ultimately extract. You can boost your Clearance Level by:

Start by clearing the area where your team spawns, which should get you to around Security Clearance 2. From there, you can either continue farming bots and hacking terminals in your safe starting zone or take the risk of engaging another team to eliminate them and steal their keycards.

To progress your Security Clearance quickly enough for top-tier map events like the vaults, you’ll generally need to swipe keycards from other teams. If you’re aiming for the best loot, ambition is key.

It’s also wise to distribute your Security Tags among your teammates. If a teammate falls, their tags won’t contribute to your team’s total, potentially leaving you stranded until you can retrieve their tags or revive them.

Each Security Clearance Level unlocks more areas of the map. For instance, reaching Security Clearance 3 is necessary to activate an Exfil Station, making it the minimum requirement for completing a run on this map. Additionally, you’ll need Security Clearance 3 and 4 to access all six vaults where the best loot is hidden, while level 5 grants access to a secret treasure trove after defeating the Compiler boss.